Suction cleaner



rNvENToR lzarles Troxler ATTORNEY 0t.s,1946.. c, @,TROXLER 2,409,082

sUcTIoN 'CLEANER Filed April 19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORk lzarlesTroXler ATTORNEY Patented Oct. s, 1946 PATENT i FFHCE SUCTIGN CLEANER'YCharles G. Troxler, Canton, Ohio, assigner to The Hoover Company, NorthCanton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio- Application April 19, 1943, SerialNo. 483,557"

position for the surface covering upon which it,

is positioned.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedsuction cleaner.. It is another object of the invention to provide a newand improved nozzle-height-adjusting means for a suction cleaner.vention is to provide a new and improved semiautomaticnozzle-height-adjusting means in a suction cleaner. invention is toprovide a simplified construction which provides for semi-automaticnozzle height adjustment upon the operator depressing andthen releasinga foot-actuated lever. A still further object of the invention is toprovide a. suction cleaner in which the rear supporting wheels of themachine are movably mounted upon the cleaner and are positionablerelative thereto for the purpose of raising and lowering the nozzleheight in a semi-automatic manner upon the exertion of an actuatingforce by the operator and without the necessity for the operator to usejudgment in the adjustment.` These and other more specific objects willappear upon reading the following specication and claims and uponconsidering in connection therewith the attached drawings. 4

Referring now to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated and in` which the same, reference char` acterrefers to the same parts throughout:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cleaner constructed in accordance withthe present invention with a part of the side wall of the cleaner brokenaway to show the semi-automatic nozzlei height-adjusting means in anintermediatel position during anY adjustment and with the foot leverdepressed;

Figure 2 is a bottoni View of the cleaner illustrated in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figurel butwith the foot-operated leverreleased and the cleaner nozzle positionedin the adjusted operatingposition A further object of the in A still further object of theA Y 2 o,Figure 4 is a section upon the line of Figure 3.

The modern suction cleaner is adapted to clean surface coverings ofvarious types. These coverings vary in thickness, in stiffness, inporosity, in

' weight and in pile density. The surface covering.,

having a long soft pile will ordinarily be rather heavy while a coveringhaving a short pile Will` usually be rather thin. For proper loperationupon these various coverings it is desirablethat the nozzle of a suctioncleaner being used thereon be. properly adjusted accordingto thecharacteristics of the covering. In the suction cleaner constructed inaccordance with the present ini vention to adjust properly for thevcoverings to be cleaned it isnecessary onlyY for the operatorto-positi'on the cleaner thereon and thereafterl to depress a footlever. rShe depression ofthe foot lever permits the nozzleto drop downinto contact with thesurface covering to determine the ,plane of thetop, surface thereof.V Thereafter the release of thefoot lever permitsthe engagement of certain mechanisms which result in the raising of thenozzle to an optimum position above the position which it had whensupported by thel covering 'andthemachineis then ready for operation.

semi'fautomatie adjustments oftnis type have" previously been providedin more complicated formand thelpresent invention constitutes` an.

improvement thereover., Such a prior artconstruction. is` thatillustrated in the patent to Charles H.' Taylor,12,183,826;

Referring again to the drawings a modern suction cleaner is seen to beillustrated and to comprise a nozzle i having front and rear suri'acecontacting lips 'and 3. An air'passageway f extends rearwardly'from the'nozzle I to the inlet 6 `of the fanY chamberY l which contains a rotarysuction-creatingfan Scarried by a depending motorVv shaft 9.

lips 2 and 3; through the air passagewayv linto the fan chamber and toexhaustit. rearwardly therefrom through an .exhaust'outlet H; The

driving motor-fertile fan is not illustrated butV is to be'understoodtobe of anyordinary and well known; type and to-be positioned within theoverlying motor casing` i2. The body ofthe cleaner is formedv withoutwardly and downwardly eX- tendi'ng side walls or skirts i3 whichextend rearwardly-from the nozzle l to the rear of the ma.- chine wherethey extend transversely across the exhaust outlet H tobe formed as arear wall I4. Rear wall lil carries at its opposite sides apair The fanfunctions to-` drawcleaning air into the-.nozzle i between thek ofthreaded pins I6 upon the outer ends of which seat manually rotatablenuts I1. The latter function to clamp to the rear wall I4 the ring I8which comprises the mouth of the bag I9 connected interiorly to theexhaust passageway II.

The cleaner is movably supported by means of spaced front wheels 2l,which are carried by shafts 22 connected to the side walls I3, and byrear wheels 23. These latter are movably and adjustably connected to thecleaner body in a manner which will be fully set forth. As in the usualsuction cleaner a pivoted handle 24 is provided which provides means bywhich the operator can propel the machine when in use.

The rear supporting wheels 23 are pivotally supported upon the undersideof the cleaner body by a U-shaped bracket 26. Bracket 26 is formed witha pair of forwardly extending arms which could well be mounted forpivotal movement on the underside of the casing about any desired axisbut which are shown as pivotally connected to the supporting shafts 22of the front wheels 2I. A transverse shaft 21 rotatably carries thewheels 23 on bracket 26 at the rear thereof, the bracket being at al1times spring-pressed downwardly by coil spring 28 in a manner whichtends to lift the rear of the machine. A catch comprising a verticallyextending arm 3l with a hook at the upper end thereof is carried by onearm of bracket 26 and is adapted to engage an abutment 32 to limit theangular movement of the bracket 26 relative to the cleaner body underthe actuation of the coil spring 28.

` On the underside of the cleaner body at a point immediately over therear wheel-carrying shaft 21 is a downwardly extending bracket 33provided with a plurality of vertically spaced outwardly extending rigidpins 34 which are,accordingly at various distances from the wheels 23and so shaft 21. A foot lever 36 formed as a bell crank is pivotallymounted upon the extended end of shaft 21 atr one side of the pair ofwheels 23 and, as is clearly illustrated in the drawings, extendsoutwardly and to the side of the adjacent cleaner side iwall I3. Theupper end of the bell crank arm, that is foot lever 36, is formed as acam surface 31 the outer or upper end of which is at a greater radiusfrom the pivotal axis, comprising shaft 21, than is the inner or lowerend thereof. Cam surface 31 is adapted to engage selectively the pins 34which are carried by the depending bracket 33 when the foot lever pivotsin a counter clockwise direction from the position illustrated in Figure1 into which it has been depressed by the operator. The movement of thecam surface 31 past the pin 34 is prevented by the lower or inner endthereof being slightly hooked. YA coil spring 38 on the rear wheel shaft21 acts at all times to pivot the lever 36 in a counter clockwisedirection, as shown in Figure 1, and tends to secure the pin which is inengagement with the cam surface 31 in seating relationship with thehooked end thereof.

The foregoing comprises the construction of the cleaner constructed inaccordance with the present invention. The invention is applicable to acleaner with or without an agitator and in the embodiment illustrated arotary agitator 4I of the usual and well known type embodying rigidbeater elements and flexible brush elements has been shown as rotatablymounted within the cleaner nozzle where it is driven by a,power-transmitting belt 42 which connects to the lower end of the motordrive shaft 9. The invention is as applicable, however, to a machinewhich is unprovided with an agitator.

The operation of the cleaner constructed in accordance with the presentinvention is as follows. The cleaner being placed upon a surfacecovering which is to be cleaned, the operator depresses the foot lever36 thereby moving it from a position as illustrated in Figure 3 to thatillustrated in Figure l. Thereupon the coil spring 28 forces the rear ofthe machine upwardly pivoting the body rabout the front supporting wheelshafts 22 as an axis. The front of the machine is forced downwardlyuntil the surface-contacting lips 2 and 3 rest upon the top plane of thesupporting surface, their areas being sufficient to prevent appreciablepenetration. The front and rear supporting wheels are supporting thelarge part of the cleaner weight and have penetrated the supportingsurface to a distance sufficient to give a firm foundation. Furtherpivotal movement of thev cleaner -body about the front supporting wheelsis prevented by the Contact of the nozzle lips with the covering and adenite angular relationship exists between the supporting body and thepivoted bracket 26. Likewise, the distance spacing the position pins 34above the rear supporting axle 21 of the rear supporting wheels 23 isdetermined.

l Thereafter the operator releases the foot lever 36 and that element ispivoted in a counter clockwise direction from the position shown inFigure 1 under theactuation of spring 38. Now depending upon the angularrelationship existing between the body of the cleaner and the rearWheelcarrying bracket 26 at least one of the pins 34 will be in such aposition above the axle 21 that it will be engaged by the cam surface 31of the foot lever 36 in the pivotal movement of the latter. 1f thesupporting surface covering was relatively thin the front of the machinewould have a relatively low position which would mean that the rear ofthe machine would be relatively high and in such an instance probablythe cam surface would engage the lowermost pin 34. 1n the case of a verythick surface covering the wheels would sink deeper into the pile, thefront of the machine would be relatively high and accordingly the rearof the machine would vbe relatively low, and the cam surface wouldprobably engage the top supporting pin 3B. Correspondingly in av mediumtype surface covering it would be the middle pin 34 which would beengaged. l

Three positioning pins 34 have been illustrated but obviously the numberthereof can be varied as desired and as warranted by the neness of theadjustment necessary.

As the cam surface 31 engages the proper pin 34 in the pivotal movementof the lever 36 it continues its vmovement relative thereto under theactuation ofv the coil spring 38 which is of sufficient strength to movethe surface along the pin to cam the latter downwardly until the pinfinally seats in the hooked end of the cam surface. As the came surfaceat its innermost or lower-end is nearer to the rear-wheel-carrying shaft21 than at its upper or outer end it is clear that the pivotal movementof the foot lever has resulted in the camming or forcing downwardly ofthe rear of the machine to an extent determined bythe contour of the cam31. The coil spring 2S has been compressed by this movement,thespring'SS being suiiciently strong to accomplish that result. Themovement of the rear of the machine has produced a lifting at the frontor nozzle end thereof. The distance whichthe nozzle is raised above itsposition in contactwitlt the supporting surfaceV is.; dependent uponthe' curvature of. the cam 3T whichxwaslpredeteremined to be that whichwould properly' position'` the nozzle above the supportingplane-z.as'`deter-- mined by the nozzle lips 2 and 32th'emselveswhen resting uponthe supporting surface..

'The cleaner in the'adjustediposition4 is'srelated:

as illustratedi in r`" igu1e.3vl andy will continue in-V that positionuntil readjusted andwith the-nozzle positioned above thesupportingsurface in a `posi'-r tion .in which it candraworflift'thefsurfa'c'efcovering upwardly by virtue off the suctiontherein'in cleaner operation. Wh'enuso relatedltheoperator; need. onlyclose the :control switclrforthei cleaner andihemachine will bei anjkoperating' uniti func'- tioning Yto clean thesurfacecoveringiuporrwhich'.

it rests.

Ik claim:

l. In a suction cleaner, a body including a nozzle, a front wheel fixedto said body, a rear wheel, a bracket pivotally connecting said rearwheel to said body, a spring urging said bracket from said body to raisethe rear of said body and to pivot said body about said front wheels,fixed abutments on said body at different distances from said bracket,an operator-operated lever pivoted on said bracket and formed with a camsurface adapted to engage selectively said abutments and to cam saidbracket and body together, and a second spring urging said lever in adirection to bring said cam surface into engagement with said abutment,said lever being adapted to move in the opposite direction under anoperator-supplied force to separate said cam surface and one of saidabutments to permit said first spring to force the rear of the cleanerupwardly and the nozzle downwardly into contact with an underlyingsurface.

2. In a suction cleaner, a body including a nozzle adapted to cooperatewith an underlying surface covering, a first supporting wheel adapted tocooperate with the underlying surface covering mounted on said body, asecond supporting wheel adapted to cooperate with the underlying surfacecovering, means for adjustably mounting the second supporting wheel onsaid body for pivotal movement of the body about said first supportingwheel to raise and lower the nozzle with respect to the surfacecovering, a plurality of vertically spaced abutments on said bodyadapted for adjusting the optimum operating position of the nozzle withrespect to the surface covering, operator-operated means adjustablycarried by Said means for adjustably mounting the second supportingwheel adapted to selectively engage each one of said abutments, meansfor biasing the second supporting wheel whereby the second supportingwheel and the body are moved relative to each other upon release of theoperator-operated means from engagement with one of said abutmentscausing the nozzle to contact the surface covering, saidoperator-operated means including a cam surface adapted selectively toengage one of said abutments as determined by the relative adjustmentsof said body and second supporting wheel effected by the position of thenozzle on the surface covering, and second biasing means acting toeffect engagement of said adjustable cam surface with one of saidabutments and to move said cam surface relative thereto to effect anadjustment of said second supporting wheel relative to said body inopposition to said rst mentioned means for biasing the second supportingwheel, whereby the nozzle is positioned 6 a'bovethe surface;coveringrifor.' ani opti-mum; operi# atingposition.thereabove;v l y 3;.In; a suction"cleaner,v al first partk comprising a body includinga-,nozzleadapted-to dropfdown into contact with an underlyingsurfacecovering and' told'eterminetl'ieuolan'ev of thev aforesaidztop':surface: thereof., saidi rsti partL also.; comprising a' firstsupporting?, whf'eelsfixedl to?` said. body;` a; secondipart comprisinga second supporting wheels nroyablei relative to said body; ,an'dmeansLto adi-e.r j-ustsaid secondi: sup'porting;wheel.i= relativeato` said-1ybody to position saldi.'nozzlerelativeht saidsulf-L face coveringtnrougn determining. the.' angular: positionv of said body?` onl` .saidfirstsupporting.'

i wheel,- said nieanslinciudingl a' pluralityof fixed-r contactscarriedby oneLoi saidpartsandamovable'- operator-operablec elementcarried; by-f theV other part and provided Wlitnab cam- `sur-faceadapted selectively to'en'gage said?l fixed contalei'fs,lv said cam4surface Y shaped' as-V to cam saidf second-1 supporting wheel relativeto said body to alter its position relative thereto to raise said nozzlefrom a position in contact with said surface covering for determiningthe plane of the top surface thereof to an optimum operating positionthereabove.

4. In a suction cleaner, a body including a nozzle havingsurface-contacting means adapted to Contact with an underlyingsupporting surface and to determine the plane 0f the top surfacethereof, a rst wheel fixed to said body and about which the body isadapted to tilt to vary the adjustment of said nozzle relative to thesupporting surface, a second wheel, a mounting movably connecting saidsecond wheel to said body, said body and said mounting being angularlyadjustable, and adjustment means carried by said body and said mountingto determine the angular relationship therebetween and to fix theposition of said second wheel relative to said body comprisingvertically spaced means and movable means adjustable relative theretoand selectively engageable therewith, one of said means being formed asa cam surface to adjust said mounting relative to said body, theselective engagement of said movable means with said fixed means beingdetermined by the angular relationship of said body and said mountingwith the surfaceconnecting means of said nozzle supporting the body onthe supporting surface and determining the plane of the top surfacethereof, characterized in that said cam surface is so shaped as to raisesaid nozzle with its surface-contacting means in contact with thesupporting surface and determining the plane of the top surface thereofto an optimum operating position thereabove.

5. The construction recited in the preceding claim characterized in thatspring means exert a force between said mounting and said body to forcesaid surface-contacting means against the supporting surface in the formof a surface covering, with said xed means and said movable means out ofengagement to determine the selective engagement of said movable meansand said xed means for the particular surface covering,

6. The construction recited in the second preceding claim characterizedin that first spring means exert a force between said mounting and saidbody to force said surface-contacting means against the supportingsurface in the form of a surface covering with said fixed means and saidmovable means out of engagement and in that second spring means act uponthe movable means to move the latter into engagement with and rel- 7ative to said fixed means with suliicient force to cam the latter toadjust said mounting relative to said body a predetermined amount inopposition to said rst spring means.

, '7. In a suction cleaner, a rst part including a body adapted tocontact and rest upon an underlying surface in a predetermined mannerand including a, nozzle providing gauging means to determine the planeof the underlying surface and a. first supporting wheel xed to saidbody, a second part including a second supporting wheel movable relativeto said body, said body and said second supporting wheel being angularlyadjustable, and means to adjust said second supporting wheel relative tosaid body to posi-tion said nozzle relative to said surface throughdetermining the angular position of said body on said supporting wheel,said means including cooperating selectively engagable cam means carriedby said first and second parts, the cooperating cam means on one of saidparts being movable relative thereto under an operator-supplied force,irst spring means to urge said body into surface-contacting positionwith said cam means disengaged to determine the plane of the underlyingsurface by the aforesaid gauging means, and second spring means urgingthe movably mounted cooperating cam means into engagement with the xedlymounted cooperating cam means, characterized in that said cam means areso related as to tilt said body on said first supporting Wheel to adjustthe nozzle to an optimum operating position above the plane of theunderlying surface predetermined by the aforesaid gauging means and inthat said second spring means exerts a suflcient force on said movably'mounted cooperating cam

